


A Love Letter Addressed To Anne Shirley Cuthbert

by nothingbutsandanddust



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 07:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19224058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingbutsandanddust/pseuds/nothingbutsandanddust
Summary: It's Valentine's Day in Avonlea - the most romantic day of the year, as Anne gushes excitedly. The girls express their desires for their proclamations of love and Anne receives an intriguing letter from an anonymous source. Fluff ensues.





	A Love Letter Addressed To Anne Shirley Cuthbert

Anne awoke to the sound of the lyrical songbirds chirping, to the sight of a crystal sky dotted with thick puffs of clouds, and a ground covered in a sparkling blanket of snow. Anne awoke in an enchanted world of ice; a kingdom filled with everything magical that she could concoct. Winter provided such a vast scope for the imagination.

With a tired smile, Anne pushed herself up from her bed and skipped toward the vanity mirror. When her eyes landed on the special dress Marilla had set out for her the previous night, Anne let out a shriek of pure excitement. It had taken an age to convince Marilla that Anne absolutely could not even consider the dark prospect of surviving the most romantical day of the year without a new, lovely dress. Eventually, after her usual lecture about the frivolousness of vanity, Marilla had caved and made Anne the pretty new garment. Anne could hardly contain the excitement that threatened to burst from within her as she pulled on the dress and began brushing and braiding her hair. Once she was done, she surveyed herself in the mirror. At the sight of her hair, which was barely any longer than it had been at Bash and Mary’s wedding, Anne let out a disappointed sigh. Of course, there was nothing to be done - she had learned that lesson the hard way.

After she had deemed herself presentable, Anne practically flew down the stairs and shot past a shocked Matthew, who was drowsily stumbling his way into the kitchen. When she arrived, Anne plopped herself down on one of the chairs, which adjusted to her weight with a low groan. From where she sat, Marilla gave her a reprimanding look but Anne was too exhilarated to care. Anne inhaled the toast and scrambled Marilla had placed on her plate before shouting a rushed farewell to her and Matthew and rushing out the front door.

On her way to school, Anne often stopped to pluck flowers she found particularly lovely and braided them into a charming flower crown she placed atop her head. Soon, she arrived at the schoolhouse, Diana and Ruby stood in front of the entrance, talking animatedly about something. Anne greeted them with a bright smile and a chirped ‘hello’.

“Good morning,” Diana said excitedly, looping her arm through Anne’s elbow and leading her into the schoolhouse.

“Those flowers look lovely,” Ruby complimented, gesturing to the crown atop Anne’s brow.

Anne beamed at her friend, admiring Ruby’s special attire for this magical day. An elegant rose pink dress paired with white stockings and a bright red bow pulling her curled hair from her face. She looked like a princess come alive from one of Anne’s storybooks, ready to be swept off her feet by a handsome prince.

When the trio sat down, they were immediately adopted into the other girls’ conversation when Tillie flicked her eyes toward Ruby and asked, “We were just discussing all the romantic events that could occur today. How would you like Gilbert to profess his feelings for you?”

An invidious feeling churned low in Anne’s stomach at the thought of Gilbert proclaiming his love for Ruby. It was an execrable feeling that she wished with all her heart did not exist. It wasn’t like she didn’t want happiness for her dear friend. In fact, Anne wished Ruby all the happiness in the world. She was such an exquisite friend. Of course, Ruby deserved the happiness that Gilbert’s proclamation of love would bring her, yet Anne could not find it in herself to stifle that adamant feeling. Even worse, she could not understand its origin nor could she begin to fathom its nature.

“Oh…” Ruby’s gaze slid to where Gilbert sat, his head thrown back as he laughed at something Charlie had said. A wide grin stretched across his face even after the burst of laughter had faded into the commotion of the class and Anne couldn’t help but admire how handsome it made him seem. Even though they were nothing but friends - as Anne always made certain to emphasize whenever Gilbert was brought up in conversations with Cole or Diana - she could admit that Gilbert Blythe was comely. Everything from his sharp jaw to his dark curls made him a sight to behold amongst the young boys of Avonlea. Of course, Anne would sooner die before voicing her thoughts aloud. Oh, how humiliating it would be if he were to ever hear those thoughts, even if they were nothing beyond casual observations.

Anne hadn’t been staring for long but, suddenly, Gilbert turned his face toward her and their eyes met, a clash of cerulean blue and earthen brown. For a long moment, Anne held his intense gaze. She held her breath, as if any movement would cause this peculiar interaction to end. Finally, Anne lowered her eyes, glancing away from Gilbert, a subtle blush reddening her befreckled cheeks.

When Anne glanced up again, she found Ruby staring at her with shuttered eyes. Immediately, Anne felt guilty, despite the fact that she had yet to do anything wrong. Or, at least, she thought she had yet to do anything wrong. Then why did she feel so frustratingly ashamed?

“I absolutely yearn for a proclamation with the loveliest flowers and the most delicious chocolates. A large romantic gesture as a demonstration for how he - whoever that might be - cares for me. But from a dozen boys only so that Gilbert can be driven mad with jealousy before he finally professes his love for me,” Ruby said dreamily, her eyes wandering to Gilbert. Anne frowned at her, an irksome feeling igniting in her chest.

“Well, Ruby, I’m sure this is the year Gilbert will finally profess his love for you,” Jane stated comfortingly. Josie and Tillie nodded in agreement. Anne couldn’t bring herself to do anything but force a small, supportive smile.

Diana merely turned to best her friend, her eyes meeting Anne’s. A small, secretive smile tugged at the corner of her lips, as though she knew a hidden truth Anne did not. It frustrated the inquisitive redhead to no end.

Soon the conversation strayed from the topic of Ruby and Gilbert and back to the topic of how each of them would like to be treated on this most romantical day.

Jane excitedly spoke of red roses and stolen kisses, while Josie expressed her preference for gifts and opulent romantic gestures. Tillie gushed about how wonderful it would be for a boy to take her out on a picnic in a blooming flower field to express his undying love for her, never mind that it was winter in Avonlea. Of course, Diana’s words were her favourite. Her best friend for all eternity simply stated that, as long as it was done by the right person, she could hardly care less how the proclamation was presented. Anne, having always been a hopeless romantic, was unable to settle for just that, no matter how perfect the concept of it seemed. In her mind, she had always pictured a passionate letter on creamy paper, overflowing with emotions conveyed in the most exquisite phrases. She imagined delighted laughter and joyous tears, smiling lips and pounding hearts. A warm hand tucking her hair back behind an ear, caressing her face gently as they watched the glorious, golden sunset paint the sky in a bewitching array of colours.

“That sounds enchanting, Anne,” Diana complimented once she was done describing her divine fantasy.

Anne flashed her a dazzling smile that was only slightly forced. Of course, she wasn’t guileless to believe that a boy would do any of that for her, the homely orphan Anne. Perhaps for Diana or Ruby. In the future, when both her dear friends were bewitchingly beautiful young women, Anne could very clearly imagine the countless marriage proposals they would receive. Meanwhile, she was merely praying that her absurdly carrot-coloured hair will have matured into a pleasing auburn. Although, Anne had been attempting to be less vain over the past few months. Besides, her lifemate should be so perfectly crafted for her that her ghastly appearance would not matter at all for him.

The girls’ conversation ended then as Miss Stacy emerged from the supply closet to announce that the class was to begin. Eagerly, as it was Miss Stacy teaching, Anne turned to listen to her exquisite teacher. To her delight, Miss Stacy held a copy of Pride and Prejudice within her hands and over a dozen more were stacked on her desk. A bright smile was on the older woman’s face as Anne’s eyes met hers. The excitable redhead beamed brightly at her role model, a euphoric gleam in her eyes. She’d not yet read the novel but she’d heard wonderful things about it and had been yearning for a chance to read it ever since.

“Good morning, class. Since today is the day of love, I thought it would only be fitting to reveal this surprise for you. Over the last couple of months, we’ve gathered donations to buy you all copies of this delightful novel which we will be studying in English over the next few weeks. It’s quite romantic, which is why it’s perfect to begin with it today,” Miss Stacy announced, her tone nearly as gleeful as Anne felt. “Gilbert, if you could please hand the copies out to the boys. Anne, you to the girls please.”

Anne nearly tripped over her own feet in her haste to get her hands on the lovely books which caused Billie to let out a fit of mocking laughter, causing Anne’s cheeks to burn as bright as the paper hearts Miss Stacy had stuck on the windows.

With his long strides, Gilbert reached Miss Stacy’s desk first and had finished splitting the books into two piles by the time Anne had arrived. Always the gentleman, he handed her the girl’s pile and flashed her a kind, yet somewhat shy, smile. Anne mirrored the expression and reached out a hand to take the girl’s books from his hands, her hands accidentally brushing his as she did so. Once more, she looked up at him, their eyes meeting, and was surprised to find an incredibly anxious looking Gilbert staring down at her. His usual confident grin was replaced by a nervous smile and his eyes darted around worriedly. After he withdrew his hands, he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

“Uh, thank you,” Anne murmured, before turning on her heel and beginning to hand out the copies of Pride and Prejudice.

Once she had finished passing out the books to all the girls, Anne returned to her seat next to Diana - who flashed her a mysterious look - only to realize that she herself did not have a copy. Before she could even open her mouth to inquire after the whereabouts of her book, it was dropped in front of her with a heavy thud. When she looked up, Anne was met with Gilbert’s apologetic, shy smile and nervous eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly once more.

“Sorry. I guess I miscounted,” he explained, regaining some confidence. “Guess you may catch up to me in Maths after all.”

With a wicked grin, Anne retorted, “Did I not do better on the Maths quiz last week. Perhaps you need to work on your memory too, Gilbert.”

Gilbert merely shook his head with amusement and muttered a quick ‘will do, Carrots’ before returning to his seat. For a moment, Anne watched him before turning her gaze back to the board, where Miss Stacy had begun scribbling something, devoting her whole attention to what was bound to be an exquisite class.

-

“Alright, class, you’ve done a great job today. Don’t forget to read the first three chapters over the weekend,” Miss Stacy called out as the class hurried out of the schoolhouse.

Most of the students, however, were certainly not listening, too busy speculating what could take place over the course of the magical day. However, Anne’s mind was on the wonderful book tucked under her arm. She could hardly wait to return to Green Gables, shut herself in her room and read the day away.

“Goodbye, Diana.”

“Goodbye, Anne.”

With a quick yet affectionate embrace, Anne and Diana parted ways. As the redhead made her way through the cold forest, she allowed her mind to wander. Once again, she imagined herself as brave Princess Cordelia. Cordelia, who had countless men falling to their knees with a laugh. But she only had eyes for one man. Her lifemate. Who would write her lovely letters in which he professed his love for her from the depths of his heart. A handsome boy with soft curls as dark as coal and eyes as warm as a hearth in the midst of winter.

Anne was so lost in her wonderful daydream, she didn’t see the tree root until she had tripped over it, tumbling down onto the soft earth. With a grunt of pain and annoyance, she got up and dusted the dirt off her dress. Thankfully, her book, having all been fastened together, remained undamaged. Pride and Prejudice, however, had been clasped in her hand when she had fallen. Now, it lay open and facedown on the forest floor. Her heart raced at the possibility that the precious novel had been damaged in any way and she rushed to scoop it up. After a thorough inspection, Anne concluded that it was left unscathed and loosed as relieved breath. That was when her eyes landed on a small, folded piece of creamy paper a couple of centimeters away from where the book had landed.

“What?” Anne voiced, crouching down to gently grab the paper.

She turned it over and found that someone had written on it in a dark, royal blue ink.

_For Anne Shirley Cuthbert_

Intrigued, Anne flicked open the paper and found that it was a letter. A love letter, no less. A love letter addressed to her. Anne Shirley Cuthbert.

_Dear Anne,_

_I have been tirelessly pondering what I should write to you in this letter. At first, I was going to tell you that you are beautiful. Even though you might think otherwise, I know you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever had the honour of laying my eyes on. I was going to tell you that I think your hair is the most magnificent colour in the world. I was going to tell you I love that your freckles are like stars painting your face. I was going to tell you that your eyes, your exquisite cerulean eyes, are the most enchanting, the most dazzling, the most alluring, the most heavenly orbs I have ever had the pleasure of staring into. I was going to spend hours pointing out every beautiful thing about your appearance, Anne Shirley Cuthbert. However, I realized that your appearance is not why I care for you the way I do. And I want to use this letter to show you that I care for you so very, very much. Why do I care for you? Because I love the way you’re so enraptured by literature. Because I love your passionate engagment with the lessons we learn. Because I love the way your eyes light up when you read aloud in class. Because I love the way your mind works. Because I love your wild, wonderful imagination. Because I love the way you laugh and the way you smile. Because I love that you protect your friends and treat them with such affection. Because I love the way you act, the way you think. Because I love that you’re smarter than any other person I’ve met. Because I love your confidence and your pride in who you are. Anne Shirley Cuthbert, I love the way you’re you._  

Anne read the letter once, twice, a thousand times, her heart beating with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings. It couldn’t be. A love letter, and such a passionate one at that, addressed to her, Anne Shirley Cuthbert. It had to be some sort of twisted joke, some cruel plot to humiliate her. But how could a person with malice in their hearts craft such a beautifully worded letter? The emotions seemed to be overflowing from the impeccably crafted phrases. But who would care enough for Anne - homely, redheaded, befreckled, ugly Anne - to write such a lovely thing? Why would they not sign it off with their name?

Repeatedly, she scanned the sheet of paper for any sign of the writer, even going as far as looking through Pride and Prejudice for anything else that might have been hidden within its pages. Alas, there was nothing. Defeated, Anne continued her slow trek back to Green Gables, the love letter clutched tightly within her hand.

She was halfway there when it clicked. Not a single word in that letter was misspelled. Which was, to say the least, very impressive, as it was riddled with difficult phrases. Yet, not a single word in that letter had been misspelled. Except for one.  _Engagement_. In the letter, it had been spelt wrong. It had been spelt ‘engagment’. It had been missing the letter E.

_“I should have added the E.”_

For a moment, everything was still. Even the wind seemed to disappear. All that Anne could hear was the thunderous beating of her heart. Then, she was sprinting to the farm. Not to Green Gables though. No. She was rushing to another farm. Gilbert Blythe’s farm.

Soon, she was standing before the door, panting as she raised a quivering hand to knock on the hard wood. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on her pale skin and her blue eyes were as bright as sapphires gleaming in the sun. Anne barely managed to regain some of her composure before the door opened to reveal Mary Lacroix. A kind smile softened her pretty face and she inquired about Anne’s presence, while also politely inviting her in.

“Oh, I really couldn’t, Mrs. Lacroix. I’m sorry to bother you as well. It’s just that I, um, I need to talk to Gilbert about a…a homework assignment quickly. I can’t be gone for too long or Marilla will have my head but you know how much I care about my studies,” Anne lied, only feeling a little guilty.

Thankfully, Mary merely smiled understandingly and offered, “Please, call me Mary. I’ll call Gilbert. You’re more than welcome to wait inside if you like since the weather’s still a little cold.”

Anne shook her head but smiled gratefully, arguing that she didn’t mind the weather and would simply wait outside for Gilbert, as their discussion wouldn’t take long. Truly, Anne had no idea what would happen when she was faced with the boy who had just laid his heart bare to her on a piece of creamy white paper, just as she’d always imagined…

It didn’t take long for Gilbert to emerge from the house after Mary had disappeared inside to call him. He was still dressed in the clothes he’d worn in school as he’d probably arrived here a couple of minutes before Anne. A warm, familiar smile was on his handsome face but Anne could see the anxiousness in his eyes. Obviously, he had not expected her to come this soon. Or at all. What if the letter wasn’t even from him? Oh, God. How humiliating that would be!

Everything Anne had thought to say immediately died on her tongue. This had been a huge mistake.

“So…” Gilbert began nervously, his eyes straying to the letter in her hand. “You, uh, you found my- my letter. That’s…yeah.”

He raised his hand to the side of his head awkwardly, glancing away from her. A heavy, tense silence settled between them. Anne didn’t like it. It felt abnormal and unnatural. Since they had started their friendship at Bash and Mary’s wedding, Anne had gotten used to always feeling comfortable and content around Gilbert. It was so easy to talk to him, to be around him, to be with him. After all, Gilbert was a kindred spirit. Of course, something had always felt different with him but surely it couldn’t be romantic. Surely.

“You spelt engagement wrong,” she blurted and immediately regretted her awkwardness. What was going on? If there was one thing Anne prided herself on was her knack for words. If only she’d taken the time to write down her feelings in a letter like Gilbert’s. Perhaps she could’ve used that time to sort out her feelings as well. Alas, she had impulsively run straight to Gilbert, unprepared.

With a breathy chuckle, Gilbert said, “Yeah. Yeah, I should’ve added the E.”

Anne merely stared, trying to identify the peculiar fluttering in her stomach and chest. Could she have feelings for Gilbert? Yes, she had been noticing his actions more lately, as well as appreciating his handsomeness. And yes, she felt comfortable around him. Yes, every touch shared between them left her slightly breathless. Did she feel safe enough to be herself around him? Yes, perhaps even more so than with Diana. Gilbert had never judged her, even when she had expected him to. He had never laughed at her or purposefully tried to harm her in any way. Somehow, he had always seemed to understand more of her than any other soul on earth. Their conversations were always so stimulating and gratifying. There was not a topic Anne felt she could not discuss with him. There was not a topic Anne did not  _want_ to discuss with him. His intelligence was equal to hers and they constantly encouraged one another to become better.

Oh, God. Perhaps Anne did have feelings for Gilbert. Romantical feelings.

A billion thoughts raced through her mind, a billion things she could say. More. Why was this so vexatiously difficult?

Unfortunately, Gilbert seemed to take her long silence the wrong way and the apologetic words began to rush out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry if I was too forward. I mean, you don’t have to, um, you know, say anything. I- I understand if you don’t feel the same way. I didn’t really expect- I mean, I don’t really know what I expected. But I, uh, I won’t be upset or anything if you don’t, you know-”

Before Gilbert could continue with his worried rambling, Anne finally decided what she was going to do. She was going to be impulsive. It had gotten her into this mess and there was no getting out of it any other way. So, Anne mustered up all the courage within her and did exactly what her instincts had been screaming at her to do since she’d first seen Gilbert standing in the doorway.

Anne Shirley Cuthbert rose up onto her toes and kissed Gilbert Blythe square on the lips. For a moment, he was frozen and Anne worried that she had only made things worse. Then, he began kissing her back, his warm lips fitting perfectly with her own, as if they had been built for one another. It was a short kiss, barely lasting longer than three seconds, but it felt like a lifetime to Anne. When they pulled away, Gilbert’s large hands remained to cup Anne’s flushed cheeks.

They remained still for a while, a different type of silence engulfing the couple. One that was comfortable and content. Neither wanted to interrupt the perfect moment just yet.

Finally, Gilbert dropped his hands from her face but made no move to widen the distance between them. Neither did Anne.

“You didn’t miscount the number of books, did you?” Anne said, her voice nothing but a whisper.

“No,” Gilbert replied, a serene smile on his face. “No, I didn’t.”


End file.
